Various types of devices for displaying differing identifying information are known, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,929,936 issued May 29, 1990 to Friedman et al teaches one such device which includes a display panel with illuminated numbers which can be selectively programmed by a user to identify the street number of a residence. However, such device is constructed specifically for mounting on the wall of the residence.
Another type of device is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 4,904,997 issued Feb. 27, 1990 to Chen et al, which device is attached to an arm of a patient for temperature measurement which is displayed on an LCD screen.
In addition, a variety of programmable electronic message signs are currently commercially available. They are used for advertising and information in stores, banks, offices, airports etc.
However, none of these devices are suitable for visually paging individuals arriving at crowded mass meeting places because of specific design or their bulky construction.
Traditional approaches to paging arriving visitors have been by holding hand-written signs carrying the messages concerning the name of the individual or contact overhead, above the crowd. However, this is extremely laborious and requires the person meeting the arriving visitor to remain at the arrival point for a long period of time, possibly taking several hours when delays are experienced for example in customs when the arrivals area is extremely crowded. Furthermore, the contact cannot leave the area for even only a very short time as there is a real risk of missing the visitor.